Update: Still No Movement on Ayers-Obama Annenberg Papers

In my post on Tuesday, I wrote about Stanley Kurtz's efforts to access the Annenberg Challenge files housed at the University of Illinois-Chicago. These files documented an educational initiative started by Bill Ayers and chaired by Barack Obama.At that point, only AP writer Pete Yost had written anything about the story. Additionally, U of I rep Bill Burton issued a press release. Since that…

'Ask AP' Answer on Illegal Immigrants Misleads Mightily

According the Associated Press, "Ask AP" is "a weekly Q&A column where AP journalists respond to readers' questions about the news." Given how biased the wire service's news reporting is, you wouldn't expect "Ask AP" responses to be very different. They usually aren't. Case in point (second question at link) -- Reader Cindy Garcia of Vista, California asked AP about the costs and benefits of…

CNN Again Omits Part of the Story Concerning Obama’s Abortion Votes

CNN correspondent Mary Snow’s report on Monday’s The Situation Room about Barack Obama’s charge that pro-life "folks are lying" about his abortion record actually just presented both sides of the controversy without getting to the reality of the matter. The report, which was promoted as "checking the facts" by host Wolf Blitzer, also omitted how Obama’s campaign conceded on Sunday that the pro-…

Helen Thomas's Anti-Israel Views Ignored in HBO Documentary

Washington Post TV critic Tom Shales heaped loads of praise on Helen Thomas even as he lamented that documentarian Rory Kennedy will present HBO viewers tonight with"A Story With a Few Holes." Shales found it disappointing that Thomas's affinity for Israel's enemies was left untouched in Kennedy's "Thank You, Mr. President." Shales started by insisting that "[o]ne can't help wondering if the film…

In Obama's Home State, Unemployment Is Spiking; Expect Media Silence

Here's news the traditional media will work very hard to ignore. According to data released by Uncle Sam's Bureaus of Labor Statistics today, the unemployment rate in Illinois is the fifth-highest in the country. The Land of Lincoln had a seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 7.3% in July, up 2.2% from the previous year's 5.1%. That puts Illinois, along with California, in a tie for fourth…

CNN’s Expert: McCain ‘Aligned With Far Right’ on Russia

CNN correspondent Tom Foreman omitted identifying a "foreign policy expert" as a former member of Bill Clinton’s National Security Council during a report on John McCain’s strong position towards Russia on Wednesday’s Election Center program. This expert, Charles Kupchan of the Council of Foreign Relations, accused McCain of becoming a belligerent position towards the country: "Well, over the…

Near Illiteracy of MI's Not College-Bound Ignored in AP Report on ACT

You would think that someone working for the self-described "Essential Global News Network" known as the Associated Press as an Education Writer might go beyond using the Copy and Paste commands in reporting on national college entrance exam test scores. From all appearances, you would be wrong. AP Education Writer Justin Pope's report on the 2008 ACT exam results appears to contain nothing that…

Mandatory Volunteer Work to Attend Obama Convention Speech

This is one of those "I hope against hope that I'm wrong, but I doubt it" stories.According to a Denver TV Station (HT Michelle Malkin), many of those who are expecting tickets for Barack Obama's Invesco Field speech on the final night of the Democratic Convention in the Mile High City are being told they have to do volunteer work for the campaign -- this week -- to qualify. Will this story get…

Financial Times's Curious Definition of 'Prominent' Obamacans

"Three prominent Republicans declare their support for Obama" insisted the August 13 Financial Times front page headline. But who are these "prominent" GOPers that have gone Obamacan? Staffer Edward Luce pointed to two left-of-center Republicans ousted in the 2006 mid-terms and one Rita Hauser, who is no stranger to supporting Democrats for president:Barack Obama won the endorsement yesterday of…

CNN's One-Sided Take on SD Abortion Initiative, 2-D Look at Obama Stan

CNN co-anchor Don Lemon, during a brief report on Tuesday’s Newsroom program about a pro-life measure on the ballot in South Dakota that would greatly restrict abortion, gave only the pro-choice side of the debate over the proposed law. He also oversimplified Barack Obama’s stance on the abortion issue.Lemon stated how the Great Plains state "is becoming a new focal point in the abortion debate"…

La. Sen. Landrieu Not Hosting Obama Fundraiser; AP Not Curious As to W

It's a bit early for politicians to be creating distance between themselves and their party's presidential candidate, is it not? Whether it's because of a (cough, cough) "clerical error" or an exercise in political self-defense, Louisiana Democrat Senator Mary Landrieu has done that. But in a report early this afternoon, Associated Press writer Melinda Deslatte was curiously incurious (saved at…

AP Continues to Ignore Kwame Kilpatrick's Party Affiliation

Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's party registration as a Democrat is hardly a state secret, yet rarely does the Associated Press mention the indicted politician's party affiliation.The AP continued its tradition of shielding Democratic pols in trouble with the law in its August 12 article, "Detroit Mayor Wins Round in Court."(excerpt below): (AP) A judge ruled Tuesday that Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick…

AP Finally Names Detroit Mayor's Party -- To Faciliate 'Playing Politi

As the latest episode of Detroit's Kwame Kilpatrick Calamity has played out, we learn that there is a supplemental directive to add to the Associated Press's apparent commandment ("Thou shalt not name a Democrat's party") about politicians in trouble whose party mascot happens to be the donkey. Several previous Kilpatrick-related AP reports, including this one from two weeks ago, have been cited…

ABC Disparages Pro-Life Pharmacist’s Choice to Have Large Family

[Update, 10:15 am, 12 August: Pro-life blogger Jill Stanek, who is a central figure in the story of Barack Obama's support for infanticide, gave a deeper explanation of Megan Kelly's background on her blog on Monday evening.] ABC correspondent Gigi Stone’s report on Friday’s World News lined up two liberal women against a pro-life pharmacist in a segment on the controversy over whether…